Gold Mine Kelp Noodles, Original, 1 lb, 12 Count

Those of you who know me know that I don't eat pasta or carbs and am forever on a quest to find noodle substitutes that don't feel like a compromise. A couple of years ago I bought and reviewed a turning slicer, the  World Cuisine A4982799 Tri-Blade Plastic Spiral Vegetable Slicer  which I still love and use frequently to turn assorted vegetables into great noodle alternatives. Recently someone mentioned these kelp noodles and I decided to give them a try. Oh my, these are phenomenal in every way. Don't like to cook? Don't worry, these noodles don't require cooking. You CAN cook them, but you don't have to. It has only been a couple of weeks since I've found them so I haven't tried a large assortment of recipes but everything I have tried so far has been fabulous. Cold noodles with sesame sauce was a hit with everyone. These noodles are slightly chewy like pasta but they are also kind of crunchy like bean sprouts. They are thin like regular spaghetti and crystal clear like cellophane noodles. In and of themselves they have a delicate and refreshing taste with no weird smell like some of those other noodle alternatives. They are a wonderful size and texture and they hold thick sauces really well. Everyone who has tasted the cold noodles with sesame sauce has moaned with delight and licked their plate clean. I've also tried these noodles with a ramp pesto (slightly spicier than a basil pesto) and they held up so well with that sauce, too. The Ramp pesto was another crowd pleaser.If you are on a lo carb diet or lo calorie diet or a raw diet, vegan diet, vegetarian diet, or lo cholesterol diet, these noodles are a must have item. According to the package nutritional info, there are only around 20 calories in a pound of the noodles. There is no sugar, no cholesterol and only 1 carb per serving (3 servings in the bag). And they are made from sea kelp so they have lots of good nutrition.To be sure, I was VERY skeptical when I first tried them. I can be VERY squemish about new foods, particularly some of these weird, healthy alternative foods. I also have a very sensitive stomach that revolts easily when it is displeased with my menu choices. I was so afraid that they would smell like old shoes or taste like that horrible stuff you have to drink before a colonoscopy, but to my surprise and delight, there is no smell and no weird taste to get used to and my stomach has remained quiet and satisfied. In fact, I am beginning to wonder if they are too good to be true. The cynic in me is waiting for the other shoe to drop, so to speak.Its not simply that these noodles don't smell or taste bad, its that they actually are so so so GOOD and they are fun to eat. They have a clean and refreshing quality to them. I am enjoying coming up with recipes to showcase them but honestly I am not sure if I can top the sesame sauce. I have yet to try them with traditional Italian pasta sauces, but I have a feeling they would be great with a hearty marinara. They are a natural for all sorts of Asian cuisine. I bet they'd make an amazing base for Pad Thai. If you do try them and find recipes you like, please post back here and let me know.So, to recap (for those of you who don't like to read a lot of text):no cooking required (but you CAN cook them)taste greatunbelievably lo calorielo cholesterollo carbno sugarversatilehealthyholds up well to saucesno weird taste, texture or smellmuch much much better than shirataki noodles (in my opinion)The Bottom Line: If you use these in place of pasta I am pretty sure you wont feel like you are settling for second best. These are a class act. Their only flaw seems to be the somewhat steep pricing, but isn't this true of all relatively new foods?

I tried so hard to like Miracle Noodles and other brands of shirataki and shirtaki-tofu noodles, but the texture just bothered me - slippery, slimy, hard to chew without choking. Kelp noodles, like Miracle Noodles, are flavorless and almost nutrition-less. The texture was the real benefit for me. They're crunchy raw. When cooked in liquid for a long period of time, they soften a bit. There's still a "bite," but they lose the crunchiness.They absorb flavors extremely well. I normally use them for Asian-style dishes, but I've made pasta salads and other Italian recipes using the kelp noodles.They're a little inconvenient because they have to be unpacked and cut (they come stuck together and need to be separated and trimmed to size), but it's less work than boiling a pot of water and cooking pasta, so I'm not going to complain. I do it in the colander while I'm rinsing, and the whole process takes 2-3 minutes at most.I've tried this brand and Sea Tangle and I can't tell the difference in terms of taste or texture. Maybe a more discriminating palate can, but I'm happy with either one and I just purchase whatever's on sale.One caveat, though. I have been on a low-carbohydrate diet for over four years. I haven't had real spaghetti in a long time. My taste buds and expectations have adjusted, so for me, these kelp noodles are amazing. If you're just coming off the carbohydrate wagon and expecting to find something more reminiscent of real spaghetti or rice noodles, you're going to be disappointed. These aren't meant to be a real replacement for rice and grains, but rather as a low-calorie and low-carbohydrate bulker or filler, a delivery device for your sauce and vegetables, basically. Appreciate them for what they are and accept them on their own terms; they're never going to be pasta.

I felt compelled to share my learnings, since I did not like these at all the first time I prepared them and then came to like them as I learned to prepare them better.Firstly, I feel your experience with these kelp noodles will depend on your expectations when you buy them. It is important to understand they may not taste exactly like pasta, despite some reviewers claims or the fact that some market these as pasta . In my opinion, these taste good when prepared correctly with my favorite pasta sauces, but to be honest I would still prefer real pasta if it was nearly carb free (but we all know it's not). I would rate my favorite homemade pasta at a 9 out of 10, and I would rate my favorite homemade pasta with these substituted as the noodles as a 7/10. Not bad considering the nutritional trade-offs as I manage my weight by eating low carb at times (carb cycling). These are also quicker and easier to prepare than pasta, which is great.Secondly, I agree with others that you need to prepare these correctly. I read in someone's review to rinse them and then soak them with baking soda for 10 minutes to improve the texture. I have made these with and without doing that, and I agree it helps greatly. Also, I actually find I prefer eating these as leftovers as the texture further improves the longer they soften in my sauce.Overall, I feel these are great. I make a huge batch of these with different pasta sauces and spinach have a go to low carb lunch and snack for busy weeks. If you are not sure you will like these, I recommend buying a single package to try them first.They are certainly not for everyone. Also, consider trying fresh veggie pasta if your'e not sure if you will like these. Veggie pasta with a spiralizer can taste great and be healthy, but its a little more effort to prepare than kelp noodles.